Minnesota PHCC Contractor May/June 2018

FEATURE
UPDATE ON DOL TASK FORCE ON
APPRENTICESHIP EXPANSION
By Michael Copp, PHCC-National Association Executive Vice President
The Department of Labor (DOL) Task Force
established by President Trump’s Executive
Order Expanding Apprenticeships in
America held a formative meeting with more
meetings scheduled in 2018. The mission
of the task force is to identify strategies
and proposals to promote apprenticeships,
especially in sectors where apprenticeship
programs are insufficient.
The Executive Order recognizes apprentice programs that are
in place, performing well and placing individuals in successful
careers. The PHCC Educational Foundation apprenticeship
program, recognized by the DOL, is one example of that type
of in-place program that is based on a four-year curriculum
with required on-the-job training, typically leading to
licensure in jurisdictions where required. However, the
DOL task force has agreed in principle that the typical DOLregistered/approved
apprenticeship program is not keeping
up with labor demands.
Initial impressions are that the DOL Task Force is looking
at World Class Organizations (and specifically their training
programs) to better understand and ultimately recommend
the establishment of competency-based DOL-approved
programs that would be available in addition to existing
traditional apprenticeship programs. The model would teach
task-oriented competencies that lead to portable credentials.
A candidate could take accelerated training on tasks, achieve
a credential, and work independently under that credential.
The skills training could be stackable in that individuals could
add competencies over time and expand their work expertise.
Additionally, there is interest in making the credentials
portable such that there would be recognition across
jurisdictional lines. Finally, the DOL Task Force intends for the
entire competency-based training regimen, once completed,
to meet the requirements of existing apprenticeship programs
in those states that require a license to practice.
It’s important that we remember the transcendental value
of the apprenticeship system, which was and remains a way
to hand down the “craft” and “science” from one generation
to the next for the sake of preserving the professionalism of
an industry. While there is a desire to ensure that we have
skilled labor for our industry, it is even more important that
we have professional and licensed master tradespeople who
are not merely competent in installing and servicing a limited
number of products and systems, but are also knowledgeable
about why they do what they do and can help their clients
solve problems. In our collective rush to increase the skilled
labor pool, the DOL task force cannot lose sight of the
potential collapse of the traditional apprenticeship system
because of commoditized competencies that may not actually
be interchangeable between employers (companies do things
differently). We will end up with Jacks and Jills of all trades
and experts in none who may elect to satisfy only those
competencies necessary to become immediately employable
and may never complete an apprenticeship and not meet
licensing requirements in many states.
18 May - June 2018 | MN PHCC | www.mnphcc.org